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and the prospect that they would have to work themselves for the bread they ate, would abuse and shoot their slaves on the slightest provocation.

I have no desire to report the details of outrages committed by the returned rebel soldiers upon these refugee freedmen, as I hope the people of this state are beginning to see their mistake and are getting to fear that if they do not afford the laboring part of their communities protection [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] for life and property, the Freedmen will go where they can secure them. Efforts were made by all my officers to ferret out all such cases of outrage and to punish the criminals, that the example of punishment might hasten the restoration of order. Guards were sent into every locality where such cases were reported, and efforts made to inform its Freedmen as to what was expected of them in their new position. Circulars, proclamations and extracts from the late laws of Congress were furnished the citizens [[strikethrough]] so [[/strikethrough]] that they might be posted as to the intentions of the General Government.

Freedmen were contracted with as fast as the Plantations could be reached, although in a large portion of the state no wages could be paid, as the growing crop the Freedmen were working would not more than support